Dodo skeleton sells for NZ$591k

The dodo bird (iStock)
The dodo bird (iStock)

An unusual item went up for auction in the UK this week - a dodo skeleton.

The dodos were species of flightless bird found on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean.

However upon their discovery they were hunted into extinction, and the bird has come to epitomise the cruel impact that humans can have on the environment.

The composite skeleton of the dodo is extremely rare.

A dodo enthusiast spent over four decades collecting the bones, which date from around the 16th Century, until the bird was 95 percent complete.

The bird sold for 336,100 pounds (NZ$591,300).

Newshub.